A Poor Man's Patience
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Sixth in my Shakespeare Series. Post ep for 6x03, "Remembrance of Things Past". Dave receives a phone call from JJ during the Butcher case.


_**Author's Note: Hello, readers! A couple of notes for you today.**_

_**First, please remember to stop by our forum, "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" and grab a nomination ballot for the first EVER Profiler's Choice Awards! You have SEVEN days remaining to nominate your picks and we'd love to hear from each one of you. Come, help us make sure that your favorite stories and authors get the recognition that they deserve.**_

_**So, c'mon, guys, let's all get motivated and choose some of this site's most deserving authors and stories to share with our friends! We're heading into our last week of nominations and while we've had a great response so far, we'd love to hear from EACH of you. Let your opinion be heard!**_

_**Also at the forum, signups for our first ever ff. net based "Criminal Minds Christmas Gift Fic Exchange" are underway! All you need to do is reply to the thread at the forum or send us a PM telling us 1) Which pairings you would feel comfortable writing, 2) the central pairing you'd like to be featured in the story you receive as a Christmas gift, and 3) Name a Christmas carol plus three Christmas-y prompts you'd like to see in the story you receive as a Christmas gift (you'll only have to use three of the four items in the actual fic). Assignments will be given on November 1st and you'll have until DECEMBER 25, 2010 to post your gift. Further details are available at the forum. Please, let's make this a Merry Christmas for ALL!**_

_**And, please join us at the forum as we get to know another fellow talented author, Faith4000 in our "Getting To Know" series of interviews.**_

_**This is the sixth story in our Shakespeare Series (a series of post eps that will follow each episode and incorporate JJ into existing storylines).**_

* * *

**A Poor Soul's Patience**

_**Post-ep for 6.3 – Remembrance of Things Past**_

Collapsing heavily onto the hotel bed in his room, David Rossi took a deep breath. Hell, he wanted to go home. Home to his dog and his laptop. Home to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he might have a fighting chance of a healthy relationship in his future. Home, period.

The word had never sounded so welcome.

Cracking one eyelid as his cell phone rang in his pocket, he fished it out blindly. "Rossi," he answered gruffly without bothering to look at the display, half expecting any number of people to have found his number once again.

"Dave?" a soft feminine voice asked uncertainly.

Eyes now wide and alert, Dave straightened on the bed. "JJ? Is that you?"

"It's me," she said lightly, the simple words seeming to float through the connection.

He couldn't help the smile her unexpected phone call pulled from his lips...something about just the mere sound of her voice calmed him. And the week he'd been on vacation had been hell. After their impromptu visit to his cabin with Henry, she'd been called away on assignment by the Secretary of Defense unexpectedly. And he hadn't seen her since.

Damn it.

"I'm assuming you're home?" he asked, shifting on the bed as he settled against the pillow.

"Yeah," JJ sighed tiredly, clenching the phone tighter. "Finally. I just picked up Henry from Pen. He asked about you," JJ chuckled, smiling involuntarily at the memory.

"Did he?" Dave asked, his heart lightening as he recalled his weekend with the cute baby. From the moment they had arrived at the cabin, the little boy had been immediately at home, exploring every nook and cranny with the enthusiasm that only the young can hold. And he had had seen JJ relax more and more with each passing hour, her happiness obvious as she had watched her son enjoy himself.

"Yes, his exact words were, 'Uncle Dabe... 'nother punkin'," JJ laughed, shaking her head as she remembered her son trying to carry around the orange gourd that was almost as big as he was.

Grinning widely, Dave replied, promise filling his voice, "Uncle Dave will see what he can do about that. I'm glad he had a good time, Jen."

"We both did," JJ returned softly, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers as she leaned against the wicker headboard in her bedroom. "We really needed that, Dave. Thank you."

"Never a problem," Dave said humbly before he asked, wanting to keep her on the phone as longa s possible, "So, tell me, how was Saudi Arabia?"

"Hot and dry," JJ shuddered, wrinkling her nose with the effort. "And I still have sand in places that no woman should have to deal with sand."

"Really," Dave said suggestively, drawling out that one word.

"Mind out of the gutter, Rossi," JJ ordered sternly, glaring at the phone and wondering if the man could see her. "I meant my hair."

"Buzzkill," Dave complained good-naturedly. Shifting his phone to his other ear, he asked, concerned, "Other than the conditions, how's the job?"

"I'd rather be with you guys," JJ replied softly, barely controlling the sigh that was threatening to escape. "Especially if I'm going to have to leave Henry anyway."

"Trust me, babe, after the day I've had, I wish you were here, too," Dave told her honestly, wondering how he was going to survive six months without her in his every day life. Especially following days like today.

"I heard," JJ drawled, her lips twitching as she held back a grin.

"Garcia has a big mouth," Dave griped, tightening his hand on the phone as he sunk down deeper into the hotel pillows, wishing once again that he had packed his own down-filled pillows for nights like this.

"Actually, it wasn't Garcia," JJ informed him with a laugh, grabbing her favorite yellow pillow and stuffing it behind her back. "It was Hotch. He called me this morning and told me that I might want to give you a call and coach you through the fine art of dealing with local LEOs and the press."

"Fucking traitor," Dave muttered, glaring at the hotel door connecting his room to Aaron's.

"He had your best interests at heart," JJ said, attempting to defend her one time boss and long-time friend.

"Really?" Dave snorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he reached over and snapped on the bedside lamp.

"Well no...actually it was his desire to prevent the lawsuit that's sure to be filed when you deck the lead detective on the case," JJ sighed, knowing that the man was more than capable of taking justice into his own hands if the desire so struck him. And she had to admit that very trait was something that had always drawn her to him.

"The guy is an idiot, Jen," Dave said disgustedly, frowning.

"Dave, a person doesn't qualify as an idiot just because they aren't as smart as you are," she chastised gently, imagining his face contorted into that look of displeasure that he had obviously learned to perfect many years ago.

"They are when they refuse to listen to what I'm saying," he argued, flushing as he remembered his exchange with the young cocky officer earlier in the day.

"He's got an obligation to the public, Dave. That involves keeping the media updated on the case," JJ pointed out calmly, tapping her fingers against her thigh. "You've got to play ball with these guys. It's part of the job."

"Not my job," Dave muttered under his breath, his jaw clenching as he stared at the popcorn ceiling.

"I heard that," JJ said lightly, her lips twitching at his tone.

"I've never liked the press, Jen. You know that."

"Learn to love them, Rossi. They're what I like to call a necessary evil. And they can be highly effective when correctly manipulated," JJ soothed, well aware of his tendencies to speak his mind first and deal with the fall out later.

"That's your job," he complained almost petulantly. "Or Aaron's. Not mine."

"It's time to use your big boy words, Dave, and play nicely with the other children in the schoolyard," JJ chided gently, turning on her side and pressing the phone into the pillow

"Okay, Jen. But for the record, I really miss you," Dave said softly, her voice a soothing balm to his agitated soul. "You had a golden touch for this kind of thing. One I'm not ever going to possess."

"I miss you, too," JJ returned softly, her heart clenching suddenly as she listened to his deep tone. "A lot."

Pull yourself together, Rossi, Dave ordered himself sternly. "Well, I'm sure you have better things to do than to have to run interference between me and the press. I'm sorry that Aaron called you."

"I'm not," JJ said simply. "I was going to call you tonight anyway," she offered hesitantly, swallowing hard as she added, "I hope that was okay."

Heart lightening at her halting admission, Dave grinned as he crossed an arm behind his head. "It's always okay, Jen. What did you want to talk about? I can't imagine you had planned on giving me the press pep talk."

"No," JJ laughed, tugging at the quilt at the foot of her bed. "Actually, I wanted to invite you over for dinner...to repay you for taking us to the cabin."

"That's not necessary, but I'd never say no to a home cooked meal. After all, I'm not a complete idiot regardless of what my ex-wives say," he joked.

"Good to know. Do you think there's any chance that you'll be back in town by Friday? That's Garcia's self-professed date night with Henry and I thought it might be nice to be able to eat a meal without finger food."

"If dinner's on the line, I'll make a point of it," Dave vowed, mentally making a note to charter a plane if necessary, unwilling to miss this perfect chance. "I'll bring the wine," he said, thrilled to have an uninterrupted evening in JJ's company. Not that he didn't enjoy any time he spent with her son...he did. But he couldn't deny that he'd just been delivered a golden opportunity to learn if there was any chance of deepening their friendship.

"Sounds like a date," JJ replied, wincing as she realized exactly what she said as the line went silent. "I mean..." she faltered, her words fading off into nothingness as she felt her stomach sink.

"It does sound that way, doesn't it?" Dave murmured neutrally, easily recognizing the doubt that was filling her words. "But the good news is that we get to decide what we want it to be."

Frowning briefly as she tried to decide how to interpret that remark, JJ's hand trembled slightly. "I suppose so," she offered quietly. "I just didn't want you to think that I thought...that I expected..." she rambled.

"Jen?" Dave asked gently, interrupting her babble. "Relax, babe."

Rolling her eyes at her own feelings of inadequacy, JJ nodded. "S-sorry," she whispered into the phone, nervously fidgeting with the edge of the sheet. "I'm out of practice, I guess."

"You might be surprised to hear this," Dave confided, his deep voice hushed, "but, so am I. How 'bout we muddle through it together?"

Uncertain exactly what he was referring to, JJ twisted the hem of the sheet into her nervous fingers. Whatever it was, though, muddling through the "it" Dave referred to while in his company...well, that didn't sound bad at all. "Okay," JJ replied finally. "I'll see you Friday evening."

"Eight o'clock," Dave said confidently. "See you then, JJ," he offered before gently closing the phone in his hand.

Leaning his head back against the bed, he smiled. Reaching for the plain box on the bed beside him, he pulled out a file. He had a hell of a good incentive now to catch The Butcher once and for all.

_**Finis**_

* * *

_**Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose! **_

_**Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!**_


End file.
